Rembrandt 350th Anniversary Notebook

Undoubtedly one of the world's greatest painters, the Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669) was an equally talented printmaker. In fact, he was a pioneer who mastered the field.

Rembrandt transformed printmaking into an art form through technical innovations and the refinement of his artistic skills. His extraordinary nuance of shadow and detail, as well as human emotion, stemmed from his unique lightness of touch. He would carve or draw onto a resin layer on copper plates, which were then immersed in an acid bath. The engraved lines became grooves that allowed ink to be printed onto paper as a mirror image.

The landscape of the Netherlands, Rembrandt's homeland, was often a source of inspiration for his prints, and The Windmill, completed in 1641 and reproduced here, is no exception. A drypoint etching, this work showcases how he used brushed acid to create specific lines—in this case, implying wisps of clouds in the sky.

In The Windmill, Rembrandt depicts the "Little Stink Mill," which stood on the De Passeerde rampart along the western side of Amsterdam. This name was given due to the rather unpleasant odors resulting from the processing of tanned leather with cod liver oil by the Tanners' Guild, which operated the mill. Despite its unique name and scent, Rembrandt embraced the mill as a representation of the bridge between the city and the countryside. The remarkable level of detail, varying textures, and depth of tone in the work reveal the artist's unique drawing skills. In fact, it is so realistic that we can assume Rembrandt began the work on-site before finishing it in his studio.

Rembrandt's The Windmill is part of the collection at the Museum Het Rembrandthuis (Rembrandt House Museum) in Amsterdam today. Gifted by Felix M. Warburg and his family in 1941, the painting is not permanently on display, making this Special Edition even more unique. We first published the design as an Embellished Manuscript in the Autumn of 2006, and we are delighted to bring it back as one of our 2019 Special Editions, honoring Rembrandt on the 350th anniversary of his death.